Why Failure Is The Most Important Tool In Your Funeral Biz (With Real Life Examples)

And guess what? If it wasn’t’ for the failures of my early days… I would not be here today, writing this blog. We wouldn’t be serving 10,000 amazing clients around the world, everyday.

In fact, it’s safe to say that failure is the very force that propelled me into the direction of my life purpose.

If you don’t want to take my word for it…

Here are 3 epic failure stories from some of the most successful people in the world:

1. James Dyson

You know that terrifying feeling where it just feels like nothing is working? How about if that thing isn’t working for more than 5,126 tries? That’s how many failed prototypes James Dyson built over a mind-boggling 15 YEARS! But don’t worry, the hard work paid off… because once Dyson launched his soon-to-be-epicly-famous bagless vacuum cleaner, it’s net worth went on to become $4.5 billion. How’s that for persistence?

The lesson: Just because something isn’t working, doesn’t mean to quit. Try a different perspective, or a small shift, and see what you get.

2. J.K. Rowling

Before Harry Potter ever existed, J.K. Rowling was broke, living off welfare, and a divorced single mother struggling to make it. She says of her experience, “I still had a daughter, whom I adored, and old typewriter and a big idea. And so rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life”. So, she began writing Harry Potter while studying, traveling and being a single parent. When it was finally complete, she was rejected by publishers… 12 TIMES! Now one of the richest women in the world, it’s safe to say she’s found at least monetary success.

The lesson, so beautifully put in her own words: “It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”

3. Jerry Seinfeld

There’s always that one key moment, where you’re about to have a breakthrough… or a breakdown. In Jerry Seinfeld’s case, this moment took place while on stage for the first time as a standup comedian. Upon seeing the audience, Jerry froze up completely and ended up getting booed off stage! But don’t worry, this story doesn’t have a sad ending. The next day, Jerry had a choice… get back on stage and give it his all, or just accept that maybe he’s not meant to be a comedian. As you may guess, he chose to stick around, and is now one of the most well known comedians of all time!

The lesson: Fear cannot be avoided, but it doesn’t have to direct your life in a negative way. In fact, fear can be used as one of the most successful tools to propel you forward in the direction you’re really mean to be!

How to turn your failures into success

Hopefully you got the inspiration you needed to realize failure isn’t so bad afterall. But in case you want some thought-provoking questions to help you transform your failure into success, here are 5:

What did I learn from this experience? What lessons are there if you step back from the situation and take yourself out of it? If you can’t step away from the “story” of failure, ask a colleague for their reflection of the experience.

What direction is this leading me to? Failure is like bumper bowling. If you hit one block, you’re going to be propelled into another direction. Where do you sense that direction is?

What have I learned to never do again? Often from failures, comes a breakthrough. Whatever catalyzed the breaking point, is often so charged with emotions, that you’ll likely never want to do that thing again. What is it? Write it down, remember it, and use it in the name of growth!

Do I need to seek support? Remember that you don’t have to do it all alone! I things aren’t working, seek support from a mentor, colleague or someone who can offer truly valuable advice, and maybe even assist you in your next effort.

What do I do next? Don’t let failure knock you down for too long. Get back up while you still have the momentum, and move forward with intention. Make a plan and get excited about it! You got this!

Feel inspired yet?

If you’re reading this blog, you’ve probably experienced failure to one degree or another at your funeral home (or other funeral-related business). I hope this message offers you some space to take another look at where you’re at, and how you can get back to what you do best sooner than later. Also, I’m curious to hear your greatest failure stories in the comments below, so be sure to share them!